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If I don't post, how long before you guys get bored of not having anyone to argue with?
Weird, last year I probably would have still ranted across the topic about God and religion and all that good stuff, I generally don't have the energy to try any more. I suppose that's BM's and WoF's doing more than anyone else...I would like to say this though, we live in a secularly dominated society (at least in Western Europe, I can't speak for the US) in our country religion is rarely mixed with politics and rarer still, forced down peoples throats like a few people here make out, in our neighbour countries like France, public display of religion is banned, and while I think this is a good idea (no crosses, no hijabs no burkhas), it is definitely a form, however subtle, of prejudice. Why therefore, do so many atheists still vehemently, or even violently, attack people of religion, any religion, when our worship does not impact your life in any way shape or form? If you don't like a Christian or a Jew or a Sikh praying or practising their faith, stay the hell away from their places of worship. Is it not that simple?
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A lot of people would question whether the physical attacks on religious individuals from atheists is more common than attacks on atheists from religious individuals, or even attacks of religious individuals on other religious individuals. I can't say that I have numbers for that, but I suggest that knowing them would make everything clearer and allow for a more cogent argument.
Religion has found a comfortable place in the UK. It's traditions are part of British culture, and I genuinely feel that, to a certain degree, Britain would be a worse place without those traditions. That said, as soon as religion begins to have ideas about changing school curricular or imposing rules on others who do not follow their belief system, any fondness for the pomp that religion exudes is lost.
In the UK this is certainly not the case (except for perhaps a couple of very private schools in Scotland). However, in America, religion has a frighteningly strong grasp of government. There is talk that the major school textbook providers will need to change the sections involving evolution purely because one of the most wealthiest states (Texas) won't buy them if they don't.
My interest is in the individuals who support this movement; is it simply because they believe it so fervently that they will do anything to facilitate its continued existence even to the possible detriment of their country?
In regards to the "Atheism is a belief" mini-argument: I would suggest that the word belief implies faith, and Atheism isn't based of faith or even a lack of it. Atheism is based of the garnering of evidence and the willingness to interpret such evidence to the full extent possible, even if such an extent leads to places you would rather not go.